Noteworthy Copyright Violations
More often than you might think, copyrights are violated when people have their
creative works used without permission. There are many examples of copyright violations
in music, film, photography and software development. These incidents underline
the importance of securing copyright protection through the US Copyright Office
in order to protect your rights to your work.
Music
Violating music copyrights can come in many forms. Unauthorized copying and distribution,
use of samples, or use of music as a component in a greater work without permission
are all examples of violating music copyrights.
That’s right: without permission from the artist, it is a violation of their copyright
to use their song in your YouTube video.
Additionally, some recording artists take issue with other artists whose songs sound
similar to their own. Many popular artists, including Beyoncé, Coldplay and Gretchen
Wilson, have been accused of copying key elements from other artists’ songs.
Click here to learn more about copyright protection
for music.
Film
Films such as Batman Forever and The Devil’s Advocate have come under fire for the
unauthorized use of artwork as a visual element within the film. Featuring artwork
such as a painting or a sculpture without the permission of the artist can be considered
copyright infringement.
Even the James Bond series of films has been marred by copyright controversy. Thunderball
and Never Say Never Again are both based on the same Ian Fleming book, which is
based on the same screenplay that Fleming wrote with two other co-authors. The rights
to the characters from that screenplay were disputed for years, causing two movies
to be made by separate studios that are not only based on the same story, but also
feature the same actor, Sean Connery, in the role of James Bond.
Click here to learn more about copyright protection
for film.
Software
Copying software from one computer to another is an example of software copyright
infringement. While some software authors release open source software or Freeware
to be shared freely, others retain rights to their work.
There are also examples of developers stealing the work of other developers and
repackaging that work as their own. Even if only portions of copyrighted software
are used, it can be considered copyright infringement.
Click here to learn more about copyright protection
for software.
Protect your work from Copyright Infringement and file your Copyright today!